Table of Contents
Every day, mechanics strive to keep the more than 276.1 million cars registered in the US functioning. Choosing the correct mechanic gloves is particularly crucial for mechanics because their line of work greatly relies on their hands.
In the United States, two of the professions with the highest employment rates are mechanics and automobile service technicians. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 749,900 mechanics were working nationwide in 2016. By 2026, that number is expected to increase by 6%, which is in line with the predicted average growth rate for all industries, which is 7%.
5 Best Mechanical Gloves
The kind of minor hand injuries that tend to be associated with spinning wrenches can frequently be avoided, or at least minimized, with the use of mechanic gloves. When working on vehicles, the stakes are raised, and if you’re using your bare hands, it’s almost a given that you’ll be giving blood. A good set of mechanic gloves can help with that.
Some of these will protect you from tiny cuts that are typical of the hobby and career of working on vehicles because the backs of some of them are impact-resistant rubber. If you venture into the realm of disposable gloves, you can keep grease and oil off of your hands, which reduces the amount of cleanup required compared to working without gloves. Check out the top 5 mechanic gloves in the market.
Custom Leathercraft Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves
The company Custom Leathercraft (CLC) is our top choice for the best mechanic gloves. The Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves offer protection and are touchscreen compatible, so you can watch each segment of the YouTube video for the repair without removing your gloves. The gloves’ Spandex back allows for flexibility, while the synthetic palm material and elastic cuff keep your hands tight behind the layer of protection provided by the glove.
To prevent the threads from becoming unwound by snagging on jagged edges, CLC covered the inner stitching on these gloves. These appear to hold up nicely for semi-regular hobbyist use. The usage of many materials, while excellent for what it achieves, namely touchscreen compatibility, will eventually lead to a failure point. This type of stitching blows out, leaving a piece of leather to flap in the breeze. Cut it off and keep continuing at that point! The only other drawback would be wearing these in extremely hot weather because they are less breathable than other options.
Finish Line Mechanic Grip Gloves
Many people prefer utilizing mechanic gloves like the Finish Line Mechanic Grip gloves for the vast majority of the messier tasks to carry out in the garage. These gloves are a fantastic illustration of others that share the same fundamental design: start with a tough fabric glove and coat it with a coating to give it the chemical resistance of a latex or nitrile glove while also adding extra durability and reducing perspiration.
Even though coated gloves can make you sweaty, the fabric is breathable, so you won’t be dripping wet as you reach for something overhead. The palm of these Finish Line gloves is textured to help you grip the tools or components you’re holding. However, considering that they often cost less than $5 a pair, these aren’t made to last for a very long time. Therefore, going with the three-pack makes sense.
Store these in the toolbox and put them on before beginning. They are simple to put on and take off, and you can replace them with new ones when the elastic wears out or tears. It will shield you from the greasy stuff for many garage mechanics. Be careful not to let them fall off and beat your knuckles, as they provide very little impact protection. Be cautious while working with sharp sheet metal because these coated fabrics don’t offer significant cut protection.
Mechanix Wear Original Covert Tactical Work Gloves
One of the most well-known brands of gloves is Mechanix Wear, and chances are you’ve either used or seen their products before. The Original Covert Tactical gloves are an excellent all-around choice. Due to the abundance of impact-resistant plastic on the fingertips, they don’t appear to be motorcycle gloves. They feature a good wrist strap to keep them securely in place, and they are lightweight. These are wonderful options for non-goopy jobs.
The drawbacks are the mirror image of the benefits: although not particularly bulky, they don’t provide much padding or plastic to protect your fingertips in the event that your wrench slides. Additionally, that breathable material will absorb oil and coolant, ruining a few gloves of a similar design for me. You can decide if these gloves are right for you by keeping these warnings in mind as you think about the type of work you’re likely to do.
Ironclad General Utility Work Gloves
The Ironclad General Utility Work Gloves GUG are made for high-performance duties and are soft, comfortable, and long-lasting. They have a hook and loop clasp so you can alter the fit around your wrists and thermoplastic rubber knuckle protection to guard against collisions and abrasion. The fact that these gloves can withstand abuse is one of their best qualities. On the fingers and palms, they have a substance that resembles leather and is sufficiently sticky for grasping and retaining objects.
They are machine washable, breathable, and have a terry cloth section on the thumb for wiping sweat off your face. They are snug without being constrictive and offer greater finger flexibility than bulkier gloves. However, using these gloves makes it difficult to pick up small objects with your fingertips and use a cell phone. They are not waterproof either.
Thickster Latex Gloves
Disposable gloves are a quick and simple solution to keep your hands clean, but they don’t provide much protection from impacts or cuts.
These are shockingly thick—14 mils. For comparison, the average thickness of latex exam gloves is 3–4 mils, whereas the “thick” ones are often 8 mils thick. These don’t easily tear, and unless you catch them on something sharp, they usually hold up for a lot of projects.
The drawback of these and all disposable gloves is that you start to sweat quite soon. Here’s a pro trick: acquire a pair of cheap cotton gloves that fit snugly, then get some latex gloves in a size larger and layer them over the cotton gloves. The cotton, which absorbs the sweat, makes it simple to put on and take off the latex. Throw them aside if they develop holes or if you catch your finger on a hose clamp.
